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my withdrawall symptoms coming off sertraline

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Moonlight
Moonlight

[color=green:84d26aee6c][/color:84d26aee6c]

I was diagnosed with bipolar in 1997. For the past 13 yrs I have been prescribed anti-depressants, including sertraline during past 5 yrs. I felt so sedated, slept most of the time, suicidal thoughts, no motivation.....My psychiatrist decided to change me to another SSRI anti-dep. I began weaning myself off sertraline and started to feel much better......no longer needed to sleep continuously, didnt want to die anymore, a big change in me. However, I now feel more agitated (especially with my husband), irritable, couldn't catch my breath in my sleep, angry for all those yrs when I have been too sedated to function properly. Also numb hands n feet during night.I am going to try not to take any more anti-depressants. I'd love to hear from anyone else in a similar boat. I wonder how long these withdrawal effects will last. I am now taking a low dose of diazepam for the anxiety symptoms.......thanks

3 likes, 33 replies

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  • itsonlyme
    itsonlyme Moonlight

    Posted

    Hi there, stumbled across this discussion when i googled withdrawal from sertraline.  I was put on 50mg a day when i was diagnosed with PND. this was two years ago and recently have felt ready to come off of them so have reduced my dosage gradually.  however i went on holiday and forgot to take my pills with me and the rigramal of trying to get an emergancy supply was not something i was going to put myself through so i bought myself some calms tablets and hoped for the best.  yes ive been a bit crabby and had the electric pulses but in all honesty its not been too bad.  however a week and a bit on and it just seems to be getting worse - to the point i dare not drive.  i am very reluctant to start taking them now because i think i really dont need them anymore, however these head pulses are getting worse and worse.  Parecetamol helps but i feel that this is just taking one pill to come off of another.  the key thing i guess im trying to say is if i knew it was just going to last a few weeks i can cope with that but if this is going to be months then i am going to need to go back to the doctors (which are just useless).  i hate this and feel that i am being treated like a drug addict because i am suffering the withdrawal symptons.  really feel there should be more help/information out there about this :-( 
    • Fings
      Fings itsonlyme

      Posted

      Agree with you about there ideally being more help/info out there. But the reason there isn't is because if there was, people would be informed and they wouldn't want to use the drugs, and the drug companies wouldn't make any money. Sadly, that's the truth. There are people who care out there but the big corporations/drug companies are in it for the $$$frown
  • gnomer
    gnomer Moonlight

    Posted

    I have been on Sertraline for 2.5 months and even without missing a dose I am getting the brain buzzes. I was on celexa and paxil as a teen and remember the withdrawals from those being like this thats how I can recognize the feeling. What the hell?? Im so frustrated on whether I should just let it play out and stop taking it all together. Problem is, im 8 months pregnant. I refused medication for months because I didnt feel comfortable taking it while still pregnant but I started getting suicidal and was reassured by several doctors that there are no side effects to the baby. I feel fine now other than the side effects of being constantly exhausted, unmotivated (soo not me!!) and night sweats. Im scared that as soon as the baby is born though I will get bad postpartum and have to start all over again. I just want to feel normal again!!!! sad 
    • flomo
      flomo gnomer

      Posted

      I have been on Sertaline for almost 6 months but my doctor suggested coming off them because I have had very sore stomach pain and loss of appetite, I have lost more than 3 stone since April. I cut my does to 50 mg for a few days, and now am off them completely... but am feeling so much worse right now... I feel as if a wave comes over me and I just feel so useless and miserable.I feel as if I will never feel better and just want to die ( its not like I feel like killing myself, I just want to leave the misery behind). It does pass but when I am low , I am low. I cant do my job, I cant concentrate, I feel hopeless.

      I am determined not to go back on the tablets and want to try to ride the storm, but I feel as if I am back to where I was when I first went on the tablets...I am also exhausted, drained, lethargic and lacking in concentration. I feel like I have run out of batteries...

      Can you explain what the brain buzzes are that everyome is talking about please?

       

    • Fings
      Fings flomo

      Posted

      Hey flomo,

      I'm so sorry you're feeling so awful right now. So good that you remember that the bad feeling passes. That's something that's so important (and difficult) to remember when you're feeling like that.

      I've experienced "brain buzzes" when I've lowered my antidepressant dosage too quickly. It feels a bit like a sudden dizzy spell ... sort of. Different people have different experences of it. There's a bit of an explanation here that may help you understand it: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creativity-way-life/201107/fireworks-or-brain-zaps

      Hope you're coping all right :-)

  • pixidust677
    pixidust677 Moonlight

    Posted

    I'm new to this site, it's good to know I'm not the only one suffering from effects of quitting this horrible drug. I've been a zoloft taker for 5 years @ 100 mg originally prescribed after I had random crying speeds during post pardom and panic attacks.  First of all weather your quitting cold Turkey or tapering off this drug,  YOUR GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME..zoloft was effective for me for the first year now I can't get off them. Last 2 weeks I have cut my dose in half! I can actually feel my feelings now, laugh so much more  but palpitations are insane the dizziness nausea and floating feelings are ridiculous not to mention my fuse is so short look at me wrong and I want to smack u!. Plus messing up my menstrual cycle and lovely constipation.  There is hope right?: )
  • Concocting
    Concocting Moonlight

    Posted

    I have just come off Setraline and came accross this forum, at first coming off was easy NOW i feel so angry,agitated and crying ahhh its horrible, plust the electric zaps and dizziness.  I can handle the zaps and dizziness but its the anger i feel like punching someone sometimes and hurting myself.  Does this go away, is there any other ways that can help the process?  does the process end?  the best thing is though i have my energy back and libido,  i was sick of being tired all the time and i also seemed to develop a tyre around my belly, i eat well and exercise reasons why i came off them please any suggestions anyone?
    • brainfood
      brainfood Concocting

      Posted

      Hello,

      I just came across this forum.  I am about to get off Zoloft. Reading everyone's post I'm a bit nervous. I was wondering how you are feeling now? I know your post is 27 days old. How is your progress coming along?

    • heather52246
      heather52246 Concocting

      Posted

      I know this is years ago just messaging on off chance.. how long did you recover after being off sertraline I've been off a week and 3 days and now getting anxiety is that normal sad a went on them for anxiety but they made me worse and bad side effects so decided to get off...am praying this anxiety will go away

    • sdavis98022
      sdavis98022 heather52246

      Posted

      I am hoping someone responds too. You can see my message above, with suggestions of supplements.

      If you are taking no other meds, you can take rhodiola as well, and as long as you dont have bi polar, st. John's wort has been said to help. I'm not a doctor, going to school for herbalism though, so quite versed in herbal treatments. Even using herbs I am struggling so can't imagine others. Also some essential oils help, bergamot, sweet orange, jasmine, ylang ylang, by putting some drops in a bottle with olive oil, you can really help alleviated as well. Hope this helps someone.

  • Fings
    Fings Moonlight

    Posted

    Same for me when I came off them. I went back on them because the irritability, weepiness, anger and depression all came back. Same thing happens every time I come off any antidepressants and I've been on most of them. I always have to go back to them because I can't function properly without them. Really frustrating. The somnelance, slightly deadened feelings, lack of libido, yawning and lack of energy are slightly better than feeling like killing myself, or someone else.
  • ghirl
    ghirl Moonlight

    Posted

    Its a living nightmare coming off them. Four years at 100 wish I hadnt bothered. 
  • sdavis98022
    sdavis98022 Moonlight

    Posted

    Hey There. I have been in Zoloft for 6 years. Not sure if this discussion is still active. Moonlight, if you do end up back here, can you tell me, is there hope if the of symptoms going away ?

    I am 2 years in to weaning off. I was given lamictal as a titrating thing. It does help. I am not as nervous about mood stabilizers.. the SSRI was my main issue. Sick of being a slave. Anyways, I'm 2 weeks in I think and even though i I was down to 25 mg and feeling ok for months, coming off completely now and I feel insane. Weird thoughts, I'd never ever hurt myself, so it does not make sense. I do not have depression, I was misdiagnosed, and it turns out I have cyclomythia, a mild mood swing disorder. My psychiatrist said to go ever so slowly, and take omega fish oil. Now that I'm completely ofd, I have been taking every day :

    Borage tincture, eyebright tincture, nettle tincture, passionflower tincture, ashwaghanda tincture, and others. My anxiety goes down, however the body zaps are back, since I haven't been taking the fish oil. The best kind you can get is the liquid as it absorbs the best. I'm getting some tomorrow. I just hope this goes away, how can I function like this ? Anyone able to confirm that the side effects go away with proper nutrition and supplementation?

    Also, I feel clammy, and sometimes reality feels not real. When I move too fast it feels blurry makes me dizzy. I have the most bizarre thoughts and just in general a sort of malaise. Any hope for any of us ? I hope so ! Maybe my suggestion of fish oil will help someone else. It really does make the brain zaps go away.

    • heather52246
      heather52246 sdavis98022

      Posted

      Just keep at it as it does lesson the longer your off.. a wasn't on them long and am still getting little symptoms but there not as bad as the beginning

  • sonja99763
    sonja99763 Moonlight

    Posted

    Oh man, I was searching for some withdrawel symps and came across this post by moonlight.

    I have been off Sentraline / Serdep 100mg for 5 days now. I feel like I am loosing my mind. I am not off by choice, as I do not have the funds to by them at the moment. My head feels like cement My body is aching, almost like I have the flu or something and Sharp needle pains in my brain. Should I go back or just keep on going cold turkey? (Been on them for 7 years, for anxiety?)

    • sonja99763
      sonja99763

      Posted

      Oh and I forgot to mention I gained like 35KG" in this time. I am an emotional eater, but I used duromines, and did not even work, I have been trying to loose weight but it is not working whatsoever.

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